Well, this is supposed to be Transparent Oracle Sunday, but since I do not have my Transparent Oracle with me, we will need to postpone that post (we will do a Transparent Oracle Tuesday this week!).  But in the mean time, here are my cards, and a huge meditation I performed last evening. 

The Horned One reversed/Ace of Swords: The Devil (Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and stable, material, practical energies that are slow to change), Capricorn (“I build,” ambitious, competent, cautious, cunning), Ayin (the eye, senses), and the Path between Hod (which provides analysis and communication) and Tipareth (the hub of the creation process where energies harmonize and focus to illuminate and clarify) tells of being caught up in the physical world and the effects of the physical senses to the point of being bound to those things.  My Horned One is reversed, though, so the weight of worry, the effects of being distracted by the physical senses, and the lack of knowledge necessary to endure, will all be fading away. The Ace of Swords (Capricorn, “I build,” ambition, caution authority, cunning, Aquarius and Pisces, “I believe,” feeling, duality, soul growth, artistic) tells of the potential within the day to effectively use mental or intellectual abilities. While these processes might cause a bit of isolation, that should be temporary.  As I find the answers to my questions, I will know what I should be doing.

My Thoth card is the Eight of Disks.  “Prudence” is Uncle Al’s advice for the day.  The Eight of Disks (Sun, the inner core of a person or situation, in Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, sensible, orderly) is about taking care of details, working hard, and studying or learning new things, all with an eye on the end result. The details are important today, as are my physical world resources.  This is a time to put things away for the future, and it is a time to take advantage of both bounty and balance.

My Legacy card is the Queen of Cups, flavored by The World reversed. The Queen of Cups (cusp of Gemini, “I think,” curious, sociable, dual, and Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody) represents the energies of Water and The High Priestess manifested into the Minor Arcana.  She tells me that today it is important for me to be in touch with my own feelings, the feelings of those around me, and to listen to my Inner Voice.  For today, I will need to make use of my feelings, my emotions, and my instincts in order to act. The Universe/World, which corresponds with Earth (cold/binds and dry/shapes, and material, stable and practical energy that is slow to change), Saturn (discipline, responsibility, limitations and resistance), Thav (mark or sign), and the Path between Malkuth (the physical world of action and physical, outer reality) and Yesod (the place where patterns and images emerge that may manifest into the physical world); it is a card of integration and involvement and understanding, a crystallization of the entire issue at hand.  My World card is reversed, and that makes sense.  I’ve certainly got lots of questions, but I firmly believe the answers will come (especially because this card has appeared in my spread, even though it is reversed).  My reversed World card is flavoring my Queen of Cups, which tells me that I am doing the right thing by connecting to my inner voices yet not immersing myself so much in the inner world that I disconnect from my physical world and those in it.

My 6-digit date number is 9, the completeness of manifestation and effect. 

My horoscopes: “Short visits in your neighborhood could catapult you into some negative situations, Sagittarius. It's best to stay close to home if you can. An angry letter or call could put you in a shaky mood. This isn't a day to socialize. Days like this are best spent keeping to yourself and throwing your energy into taking care of whatever you're working on.”

And: “Some people with whom you spend a lot of time could get into a rather tricky debate over spiritual values or metaphysical concepts. This could make everyone else very uncomfortable, including you. This isn't the time to try to mediate, as both the parties involved are too attached to their points of view. It's best just to nip it in the bud and ask them not to discuss it now. Then change the subject!”

My Shadowscapes Insight is regarding The Empress.  Again!!  Love this one. The Shadowscapes Empress tells me to be aware of the abundance around me and to embrace the natural world and its effects.  The Empress also represents The Mother aspect of the Sacred Feminine, and thus, the process of nurturing the fertile seed.  She reminds me that there is bounty to be had from Nature.  Free of charge.  I have only to learn how to tap into that bounty.

I received access to Lesson 7 of my Third Degree Training yesterday morning.  And oh, I am excited about the Lesson materials because they focus in part on the writings of Aleister Crowley, my dear old Uncle Al.  I will enjoy putting into words what I have already experienced that applies to this lesson, and I will enjoy performing the exercises and accumulating new experiences.

I performed what turned out to be a huge meditation for myself last night.  It began with me paddling a canoe through brackish channels, being caught in fast moving water, then suddenly the water turning calm, leading up a dead end channel with waves gently lapping onto the shore. I then began walking along a path, no other footprints to be seen.  Some places the path was muddy, some places it was dry and sandy.  Sometimes the path rose up, with a bit of gnarled trees, sometimes the trail was low and wet.  Suddenly the path delves down, to a door, round, handle in the middle.  The door was locked, but when I tapped into my solar plexus chakra, the tumblers in the lock shifted with a click, and the door opened.

Inside was a tunnel, dry and lined with stone.  I hesitated, and then stepped in and began to move down the tunnel, my shadow stretching far ahead of me.  Suddenly, the light began to dim; I turned, just in time to watch the door close with a solid thump.  I stood stock still; all was silent and calm and so eventually I moved forward, my arms stretched out and my fingertips trailing against the dry, smooth walls of the tunnel.  After a bit, I realized I could see very dim light ahead.  Eventually, I cane to the other end of the tunnel.

Below me was a forest, with a stream flowing past from right to left, then curving out of sight, into the trees.  There was a path before me, but I decided to walk along the bank of the stream.  At times this was easy, as the banks were smooth and grassy; a few times I needed to clamber around huge boulders and once or twice, over fallen trees. 

Eventually I came to a place where the banks of the stream were impassable.  I looked to the left, across the stream; the banks were equally steep.  I looked to the right, and to my surprise I saw the flickering of a flame in the distance.  Okay then, into the woods I go.

Again, the way was sometimes easy and sometimes difficult.  For a while, there was no undergrowth, but soon I was pushing my way through stickerbushes, fighting to keep my jacket and getting scratches on the backs of my hands.  At last, I pushed into a clearing, where the remnants of a large bonfire were still flickering. 

In front of me was a low round table; on the table were my elemental representations.  Leaning against the eastern side of the table was golden sword usually carried by Euros, my Air Guide, the three rubies set in the hilt were glittering in the firelight.  To the south was the flat lamp usually carried by Notus, my Fire Guide, its flame bright.  To the west was the earthenware cup, filled with water, usually carried by Zephyrus, my Water Guide.  And at the northern end of the table was my Dryad Design pentacle, beside it was my small black amethyst obelisk, similar in shape to the standing stone I usually see beside Ophion, my Earth Guide.  There was something familiar about this setup, and suddenly, it became clear to me.  This was from the image on the traditional RW Magician!!

I stepped up to the table, and then straightened and raised my power arm, pointing my index finger to the sky, and straightened my receptive arm, pointing its index finger towards the ground.  Instantly, lightning flowed down through me and up through me, at the same time.  It reminded me of what happened to the immortals in the Highlander movies, after a beheading, only it didn’t hurt.

Once the lightning stopped, I blinked a few times, and then saw them.  The Watchers and my Elemental Guides were there, figures cloaked in dark robes and hoods standing in their respective Quarters, appearing just as they do when I call them.  Tishtya, wearing a yellow brooch shaped like a tornado, was standing behind Euros in the east; Venant, wearing an orange brooch shaped like a flame, was standing behind Notus in the south; Satevis, wearing a blue brooch shaped like a waterfall with spray billowing upward, was standing behind Zephyrus, and Haftorang, wearing a brooch shaped like the Celtic tree of life in green, was standing behind Ophion.  For a moment, the pentagrams carved into my palms when I first began Third Degree Training pulsed and stung.  And then all was still and quiet, except for Eros’s robe, which flapped gently in the breeze, and the flame of Notus’s lamp, which danced gently. 

Then, I heard the Voice of Danu.  I could not see Her, but still I heard Her.  Here is what She said:

“You have been given the gifts of The Magician, my Daughter.  These Gifts come with responsibilities, however, and you must meet them all.  You will write your personal Imbolc Sabbat, to be performed at the appropriate time, and you will formally Invoke Me within that ritual, Drawing Me Down within you.  You will complete these final Third Degree Lessons by Beltane, so that the second half of the Wheel can be spent finalizing that Training.  And, you will work intensely with the elements, your Elemental Guides, and the Watchers, so that you may increase your skills and abilities to work with them all.  All this you must accomplish, in the time and manner described, in order to permanently own these gifts being offered to you now.”

I bowed, deeply, and offered words of gratitude.  And then the last of the bonfire went out, and smoke began to billow.  Once things cleared a bit and I could see around me, I was alone once again.  I picked up my elemental gifts, and began my journey back out of the meditation.  Soon, I was back in the physical world, and I thought about this, wondering what it all meant.

And then I knew.  The hurricane!!  Oh, I can easily remember the winds buffeting my house, and the sylphs laughing with glee.  I can still visualize the waves surging over the boardwalk, and just yesterday, I walked to the north end of Beach Drive and saw the sand still spilling over the entire corner and a block in each direction.  I use beach sand to represent Earth when I cast a circle, so this is very potent.  And there were fires in multiple places, with homes that were sitting in water destroyed by the flames.  Each intense effect is still within me!  Here is a meaning for that meditation!

I’ve got lots to think about.

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